The blockbuster trade, which sent Luka Donsic to the Los Angeles Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks, sent shockwaves throughout the NBA community. The first to be unstoppable among them was McAl Thompson, the father of Mavericks Guard Klay Thompson.
Clay signed Dallas in particular with Dallas early in the season, with a trade that was particularly close to home for the Thompson family, especially to play with Don Sic in the Mavericks Championship Tracking.
But in a spectacular turnaround, the Mavericks front office made the controversial decision to send Don Sic to Los Angeles in exchange for Anthony Davis.
“Like everyone else, I was shocked and surprised,” Mychal explained when he appeared on the Run It Back Podcast.
Despite the initial surprise, Elder Thompson believes Davis can help Dallas achieve their goals.
“But I said to him, “Listen, you’ve lost a great player at Luka, but don’t forget who you came to Dallas, Anthony Davis.
“I said to Clay, ‘Listen, you’re losing Luca, this is when Kylie is healthy, of course, but Anthony Davis and Max Christie were added.
The new-looking Maverick’s defensive potential excites the former NBA champions in particular.
“I said, ‘Maybe you’ll get even better, because you got Anthony Davis, the best rim protection in the game, you’re vibrant and you got Gaford. You have a guy who can get you 40 and 20, five or five blocks during the playoffs you really need,” he continued.
Davis, Irving and Thompson all remain optimistic about the Dallas competition window despite the older new core players in their 30s.
“Yes, losing Luka was a disappointment, but you didn’t trade him for a backup center or role player. You’ll get all the legitimate NBA big guys who left you with 4-5 prime years at just 32,” Thompson emphasized.
“Even though he was disappointed to lose Luka because he liked him personally and as a teammate, I said, I’m grateful Anthony Davis is trying to make your job easier.”
The Mavericks are suffering from injuries in the aftermath of the Don Chic trade. However, since Davis returned to the lineup, the fate of the team appears to have improved.
Dallas has won three of the last five games, and is competing for at least the Play-In Tournament Bertz. The Mavericks currently sit in ninth place in the Western Conference with a 38-39 record.